There is a tendency to downplay the magnitude of what Christian wives are called to do compared with Christian husbands. Wives are merely called to submit, we are told, while husbands are called to something higher. This diminishment of the purpose and the difficulty of submission is both inaccurate and unfair to Christian wives. Scripture calls Christian husbands to actively lead their wives to Christ (Eph 5:25-27), but it also calls on Christian wives to use submission to inspire their husbands to follow Christ (1 Pet 3:1-2).

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they…